It’s a withering take on the matter that paints Michael Bennet as an innocent bystander in an episode of vicious Democratic internecine warfare.

Milbank starts the piece by recounting how he worked with Romanoff years ago at their college newspaper, characterizing him as someone who spent a lot of time involved in internal fights.

I recalled that long-ago episode while watching this year’s Colorado Senate race, in which my old editor Romanoff is challenging Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic nomination. The dynamic is much the same: Rather than furthering the causes they agree on — there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference in their ideologies — Romanoff is provoking a Democratic family feud.

Milbank waxes on about Bennet’s virtues in several paragraphs of serious man crush prose.

It’s understandable that Romanoff would be angry that he didn’t get the Senate appointment last year, but that doesn’t change the fact that Bennet was an excellent choice. In addition to his anti-lobbying legislation, Bennet has taken a lead role in education policy and voiced support for institutional changes such as electing committee chairs rather than awarding them on seniority. If more Mr. Bennets came to Washington, the Senate wouldn’t be the mess that it is.

Dana Milbank obviously didn't lurk west of the Beltway and talk to any Coloradans about the affair. If he had he would have heard about how Romanoff's a stand-up guy and he also would have toned down his bleating about our neophyte Sen. Bennet.

johnhkennedy

Does the corruption Dana Milbanks is so afraid of seeing exposed extend to the Obama White House in the form of an attempted bribe of Andrew Romanoff by Jim Messina, Rahm Emanuel's assistant.Andrew Romanoff is a very well respected Democratic politician in Colorado and has the support of twice as many Colorado Democratic activists as Michael Bennet, if the voting at our State Assembly is an indication. By comparison we Colorado Democrats know very little of the “appointed” Senator Michael Bennet precisely because he has never run for any elected office. So far Bennet has lost the Caucus, County Assemblies and now the voting at the State Assembly.Romanoff got 50% more votes at the State Assembly than Bennet.We were shocked when he was appointed. Our Gov. Ritter had asked for recommendations from the voters and the Denver Post after obtaining the email, determined that none mentioned Bennet's name but Romanoff was clearly the most popular choice.Ritter ignored his party's base (probably at the request of Obama) and appointed Bennet. That is why we have a divided Colorado Party and that is the only reason.Now there is another controversy caused by Obama's trying to remove Romanoff from the Senate race by offering him an Administration job, which is illegal.The time line is important because it appears to suggest that “appointed” Senator Michael Bennet may perhaps have known of the job offer in advance.See this Huffington Post article entitled: What Did Senator Bennet Know and What Was His Involvement? by Wade Norrishttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/wade-norris/what-did-senator-bennet-k_b_604839.htmlThis article is a well thought out understanding of the time line of Bennet's possible involvement in the Rahm Emanuel/Jim Messina effort to Bribe Andrew Romanoff. THE Only Conclusion I Do Not Agree With is this statement: “This type of insider politics does not …rise to the level of a violation of the law” No offense to Wade but I say “baloney”. The law clearly states that offering anything of value to affect the outcome of an election is a crime.If you walked into a bank with a gun in plain sight the guards would assume that you planned to rob the bank and would probably open fire.If anyone in the White House approaches a candidate in a contested primary, who is running against the WH's candidate and hands them a list of possible Administration Jobs available only if they withdraw from the campaign, that is as clear a violation of the law as it gets. That IS A JOB OFFER.Just the presentation of a list of 3 jobs is a clear offer. There doesn't have to be specific wording. Regardless of what Andrew Romanoff says, There Was An Obvious Offer To Exchange a Job for Romanoff's Withdrawal From the Senate Race.BUT Will there be an investigation? The Congressional Democrats that refused to even discuss Investigating and Impeaching Bush and Cheney for the WMD Lies and Admitted Federal Crimes of Torture can't be trusted to call for it.All of our Congressional Democrats from Colorado refused to discuss Impeachment. And now there is no call for prosecution of the Bush-Cheney Torture crimes either. Obama, in spite of his statement that we do not torture, Refuses to prosecute any Bush-Cheney Administration staffer for the admitted Conspiracy To Torture by their appointees, giving some credence that somewhere in some “black” CIA Prison, torture is used.SO will there be an investigation?I think the only punishment any of them will get is IF WE, you and I throw the incumbents out of office.Colorado Democrats are justifiably angry at the heavy handed attempt by the Obama White House to stack the deck in our Senate Primary and tell us who we will be allowed to have for a candidate in the general election.

DeltaDude

“Bennet was an excellent choice”? Please! This guy has never held and honest job in his life.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_BennetSilver spoon fed, special schools, friends and relatives in high places. Voted to reconfirm his likewise mentor Ben Bernanke. http://www.woopidoo.com/biography/ben-bernanke/…Again, someone who has never held a real-life honest job. Please, can't we get somebody elected that has down-to-earth real life experience. Bernanke is alleged to be an expert on the great depression yet he couldn't recognize the coming economic debacle even after being repeatedly warned. Do you really think Bennet is any different? I sure don't. These guys have all kinds of fancy credentials but don't have a lick of common sense. Give me the guy who has been through the school of hard knocks and has the experience not these two.

constance_c

According to Milbank ” there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference in their ideologies — “Milbank just hasn't paid attention to the race. Or do those Skull and Bones members think they don't need to keep up with anything current?

Pat Caddell

It's the ruth. The ROmanoff campaign has lackd integrity and is he dirtiest in Democratic history of the last 50 years

realistical ratiobalist

SKull and Bones are undergraduates, like Romanoff. Bennet went to Yale Law School. I guess you have not been folllowing history

constance_c

Skull and Bones is a secret, elitist private club. Romanoff was not a member. Milbank is.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.